Thunder Force III is one of my all-time favorite side-scrolling shooter games, not just for its fun gameplay, but also a powerful and riveting soundtrack that gets the heart pumping, and the adrenaline flowing.

It's always been my dream to expand and enhance the original soundtrack, and now finally, the time has come. This playlist will include only the opening theme, and the individual stage songs. I will not be touching the boss themes or other songs, as I believe it's not necessary to do so. Please enjoy, and if you like my work ,consider supporting me at patreon.com/maestrodraven or paypal.me/maestrodraven. I'd surely appreciate it!

Thunder Force III (Expanded & Enhanced)

Thunder Force III is one of my all-time favorite side-scrolling shooter games, and I've wanted to add my own expansions onto its fantastic soundtrack for literally the past three decades at this point. Finally, the time has come. I'm kicking off this project with "The Wind Blew All Day Long," the opening theme for the game, and reference to the soundtrack's rather weird and quirky song titles. 

For this one, I wanted to take an extremely short number and really build on the momentum, until the energy levels peaked, and the whole thing crashes beautifully into the original theme. The expansions were designed as a sonic "attract mode" in my head, and fleshed out to create not just a longer song, but also a love letter to TechnoSoft, and the legions of diehard Thunder Force fans around the globe. Here's to you.

If you're digging my work, consider supporting me at patreon.com/maestrodraven or paypal.me/maestrodraven. I'd surely appreciate it!

The Wind Blew All Day Long (Expanded & Enhanced) • THUNDER FORCE III

"Back to the Fire" is the Hydra stage theme from Thunder Force III, and although it's far less intense than other tracks in the game, it's a great opener that sets the tone for what's to come. For my expansion, I wanted to "accelerate" and amplify what was already there, while still remaining true to the original sound. The result is a more menacing and intense sound that builds to an uplifting crescendo, before swooping back down to the original track for the closing minute. I had a lot of fun making this one, even if it was quite challenging and time-consuming.

Back To The Fire • Stage 1 - Hydra (Expanded & Enhanced) • THUNDER FORCE III

"Venus Fire," I believe, is the best song on the Thunder Force III soundtrack, and the one I remember the most, with it's blistering-fast BPM, machine gun tom fills and lush sci-fi synthesizer work. I wanted it to be perfect, so I took the time to painstakingly recreate this song, note-for-note, with all the subtle pitch-bending and vibrato that the original is so well known for. Next came the expansion, and I knew it had to bring the fire, while still sounding like a completely natural and logical addition to the original song. The result is, I think, a success, and whether you agree or disagree, I do hope you'll all join me on this sonic thrill ride! Let's turn up the volume and have some fun!

Venus Fire • Stage 2 - Gorgon (Expanded & Enhanced) • THUNDER FORCE III

"The Grubby Dark Blue," with its rather interesting and somewhat silly title, is one of the lighter songs on the Thunder Force III soundtrack, and while I didn't want to mess with that formula, I did want to intensify it a bit by adding a much more impactful and thrilling middle section not present in the original song. I believe this brings a much-needed boost to the intensity of the original, especially for those who have ever played this stage on Mania difficulty mode.

This particular track also represents a new paradigm shift in my mixing and mastering capabilities, thanks to a brand new professional studio that will be used for the production of my debut solo album, to be announced soon. For now, please enjoy.

The Grubby Dark Blue • Stage 3 - Seiren (Expanded & Enhanced) • THUNDER FORCE III

My name is MaestroDraven, and I recreate the classic video game songs of old, NOTE-FOR-NOTE, and then build entirely new sections designed to flesh them out and expand on the originals. This is a labor of love, and my way of paying tribute to the great composers of old. 

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